RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Back on track with 10 victories in their last 11 games, the Arkansas Tech baseball team will look to keep a modest three-game league winning streak going when it hosts Southeastern Oklahoma in a three-game Great American Conference series Friday and Saturday at Tech Field.

The Wonder Boys (14-10, 3-5 GAC) have bounced back from a tough start to post a stellar mark in the month of March, ripping off six wins in a row starting with the series finale against Henderson State on Feb. 22, and responding to a one-run loss to Harding in a nonconference doubleheader March 10 by taking the second game to start their current four-game streak heading into this weekend against the Savage Storm (9-10, 5-5 GAC).

Tech has been getting production from all over its roster, but its offense has been tough for any opposing pitching staff to shut down over the past month. The Wonder Boys have scored at least 13 runs in each of their past three games, and have netted double digits five times in their last 11 outings, averaging 10.1 runs per game over that span. As a team, they're batting .339 throughout the stretch, going for at least 11 hits in six of those games, including smacking 21 in a victory over Southwest Baptist March 3. That has been good enough to lift the team to a .299 average for the season, second by just three points to Ouachita Baptist in the conference. The Wonder Boys are also second in the league in slugging percentage (.458), on-base percentage (.388), runs (170), hits (228), RBIs (152) and home runs (23), while striking out the second-fewest times and grounding into just two double plays.

Seven different players are batting at least .292, led by Bryan Heward (.398), Keenan Jumper (.397) and Patrick Castleberry (.380), who are third, fourth and seventh in the GAC, respectively. Castleberry's nine home runs gives him four more than anyone else in the league, and pushes him near the top 10 nationally, and the senior is leading the conference in slugging (.797), total bases (63), RBIs (32) and runs scored (25). Heward adds four home runs, two triples and five doubles while knocking in 29 runs and swiping seven bases in eight tries. Jumper has blasted a team-high eight doubles, and had a 12-game hits streak snapped Tuesday, while a 13-game streak of reaching base is still alive.

Kris Ayers, one of two players to start all 24 games, along with Heward, is hitting .333 with three homers, six doubles and 21 RBIs. Collin O'Neil adds a .316 average and four doubles, while Cole Fergus is batting .295 with three home runs.

Arkansas Tech pitchers have posted a 3.72 ERA over the 11-game run, lowering the staff's season ERA to 5.28. Josh Ryan has put up a 1.46 ERA and a 2-0 record after earning the win in his team's 13-0 shutout over Rogers State Tuesday. Ryan Vruggink has put up a 3.86 ERA, allowing no earned runs in nine of his 10 appearances out of the bullpen, striking out 14 over his 11 2/3 innings. Bryson Morris has pitching in 12 games, tossing 9 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts, and has allowed only a single earned run in his last five trips to the mound.

Southeastern has split its last four games, including grabbing two GAC wins last weekend against Harding. The Storm are batting .272 as a team, led by Chance Burcham, who's hitting .414 with three home runs and seven RBIs. Corban Taylor (.370), Dylan Helms (.349) and Kaleb Thomas (.316) join their teammate in batting over .300. Collin Sefcik is batting .290 and has driven in 10 runs, tied with Thomas for second on the team. Cody Coats is hitting .245 and leads the team with four homers and 16 RBIs. The Storm leads the GAC and is sixth in the nation with 35 stolen bases, and have only been caught six times. Taylor and Jacob Soisson each have stolen seven bags in eight tries, while Thomas and Brayon Colley each have six swipes.

The Southeastern pitching staff has a 6.39 ERA, led by starter Dylan Linke with a 1-0 record, 3.91 ERA over 25 1/3 innings in five starts. Nick Johnson sports a 2-3 mark and 6.11 ERA, tossing 35 1/3 innings and three complete games. Brady Colbert leads the team in ERA with a 3.86 and 3-1 record in eight total appearances and one start, picking up 25 strikeouts to just eight walks over 23 1/3 innings.
The weekend series will feature a single game Friday night at 7, followed by a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live on 980-AM (KCAB) in Russellville, with live stats and audio available at www.arkansastechsports.com.